November 19, 2010

I was spending a summer holiday with amazing friends in Milan, reuniting for the first time since we moved out of East London, when Vicky could not have said it any better: What is there to do besides eat and drink your way around the city (in good company, of course). I spent my days enjoying homecooked meals, family owned cafes and evening apertivos, over glasses of wine and endless stories with too much laughter. Upon my return to New York, my appreciation for food has continued to grow, so why not combine it with my life-long passion for photography. Today, I’m finally creating an outpost to display the highlights of food, both eating in and dining out, with friends and family. With the holidays just around the corner, I’ve been brainstorming menus and recipes I’m excited to capture. In the meantime, I’ll flashback to my top ten summer and autumn highlights I couldn’t bare to leave out (in order of occurrence).

10. Milan

A traditional Sunday meal with friends at Lucia's casa.

Fruit smoothies at a café on a rainy Milan day.

9. Lake Luzern

Salads, fruits and cheese at Seebad on Lake Luzern. While in Zurich, I had time to spare while my friend was at work, so enjoyed an afternoon at a neighboring town, basking in the Swiss sun at this bathhouse with an amazing view.

8. London

A fresh loaf of bread from Jones Dairy café. A hidden gem on a side street off Columbia Road, host of London's Sunday flower market. Quite possibly my favorite place in the world to be on a Sunday afternoon.

Modern English cuisine at the industrial chic, Wapping Project restaurant in East London. Once an old hydraulic power station, this half art/half dining venue was perfect for a dinner catch up with the old crew from Amelia's Magazine.

7. New York

Hot summer evenings on my roof, with a pitcher of Pimms and Lemonade, garnishing the leftover fruit with mint, and smoked salmon bruschetta.

6. Montauk

Mac and cheese at Montauk's Navy Beach for a mid-summer escape to show my friend from Sydney a taste of our local beaches and sunsets.

5. Rowayton, CT

Lobster rolls at the restaurant at Rowayton's Seafood. While my parents were in town visiting we spent a day dining by the Long Island Sound.

4. Brooklyn

A backyard barbeque in Brooklyn at my friend, Geordie's home. All vegetables and mint for the mojitos grown locally, right from the back garden.

Fresh vegetables

3. Hoboken, NJ

An italian dinner at Margherita's Pizza & Café in Hoboken. I love taking summer ferry rides across the Hudson to relax, enjoy the view of the city and visit my friend, Beth.

2. My birthday weekend

Sandwiches, soups and salads at Cathryn's in Cold Spring, NY with some friends to celebrate my birthday and explore the small town about an hour north of the city.

Perfect autumn meals

And the party continued back in the city as we prepared stuffed squash boats, roasted potatoes and much more for a dinner party that evening.

While taking a mid-October break out on the west coast, we prepared a dinner with a couple old friends, new friends and family. Buying fresh from the market, we enjoyed pumpkin pasta, prosciutto wrapped pears and roasted potatoes.